Passive optical networks (PONs) may provide network services such as voice, Internet, and video services to homes and businesses. In a conventional PON 100, shown in FIG. 1, optical line terminal (OLT) 110 (typically located in a service provider's central office) communicates with optical network unit (ONU) 120 (also referred to as an optical network terminal (ONT)). ONU 120 is typically located on the end-user's premises. OLT 110 and ONU 120 communicate using, among other things, physical layer operations, administration, and maintenance (PLOAM) messages 130 and ONT management and control interface (OMCI) messages 140. OMCI messages 140 are defined by Recommendation ITU-T G.988 and generally address ONU configuration, fault management and performance management for optical access system operation. PLOAM messages 130 are defined in Recommendations ITU-T G.987.3 and G.989.3 and generally address low-level negotiations between an OLT and an ONU. PLOAM messages 130 can be supported in low-level firmware, if not actually in hardware, and as such, they can be used even when an ONU is incapable of communicating using higher level OMCI messages 140.
Under normal operations, service provider personnel may remotely configure and troubleshoot an ONU, using OMCI messages 140. Service provider personnel may even instruct an ONU to reset itself using OMCI messages 140. However, there are certain fault conditions when the ONU is unable to process incoming OMCI messages 140. In such conditions, the only alternative is to restart the ONU manually, which requires either an in-person visit by the service provider's field support technician or else an attempt, over the phone, to guide an untrained customer through the ONU reset process.